Machine for sizing leather belts



y 1939 J. A. WEBB 2,157,874

MACHINE FOR SIZING LEATHER BELTS Filed Feb. 10, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 1III Bnnentor km A Wab (Ittorneg y 1939, J. A. WEBB MACHINE FOR SIZINGLEATHER BELTS Filed Feb. 10, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3m entor Jmes A.14/966 (1 tt rneg y 9, 1939. J. A. WEBB 2,157,874

MACHINE FOR SIZING LEATHER BELTS Filed Feb. 10, l95'7 3 Sheets-Sheet 5:nwentor James A. I vbb WKW Gnome} Patented May 9, 1939 PATENT OFFICEMACHINE FOR SIZING LEATHER BELTS James A. Webb, Buffalo, N. Y., assignorto J. A. Webb Belting 00., Inc., Buffalo, N. Y.

Application February 10, 1937, Serial No 125,104

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for sizing a leather belt ply, andit has particular reference to the provision of a machine forefiectively applying a coating of cement to one surface of the 5material undergoing treatment.

Heretofore it has been customary, in the manufacture of leather belting,to apply manually a sizing coat or coats to the separate plies of abelt, and later, after the sizing coat has thoroughly dried, to apply afinal coating of glue or cement and to unite the plies. The first, orsizing operation is slow and costly, and requires considerable skill toform a coating of uniform thickness. The present invention provides amachine for efliciently conducting this step in the manufacture of thebelt. 1.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine in which a roll ofbelting material may be fed between a pair of rolls, one of which servesto brush the sizing material into the pores of the leather.

Another object is to devise a roll system for such a machine in whichthe load imposed on the belting passing between the rolls may be ingcement is applied to the belting.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a sizing machinewhich may be utilized for rewinding the coated material into neatlyformed rolls.

Other objects are the provision of improved instrumentalities making forease and reliability of operation, and will be made more apparent asthis specification proceeds with a detailed description of a preferredembodiment of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the sizing machine;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine as viewed from the left handside of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing thestructure of the outer side guide; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the belt material in the machineand associated drying rack.

The machine consists of a main frame In in front and to one side ofwhich is attached a subframe H having afllxed theretojghsmed bearingblocks l2 which receive a windl s shaft l3. A roll ll of belt materialis adapted to be positioned on a drum l5 which is secured to a profinelyadjusted so that a uniform coating of sizjecting extremity of the shaftl3, and which is preferably of the collapsible type, to facilitateapplication of the roll.

The frame I is formed with spaced parallel upper portions l6 upon whichelongated bearing pedestals ll are rigidly secured. A coating orapplicator roll 18 and a knurled traction roll 20 are disposedtransversely between the pedestals, and their projecting pintles 2| and22 are received in bearing blocks 23 and 24 respectively. The blocks 23are secured in position, while the blocks 24 are vertically movable inslide structures 26 formed in the pedestals H.

A tension adjustment for the blocks 24 and accompanying roll 20 isprovided to obtain a control of the pressure exerted on the web ofbelting material B which is drawn between the rolls (Fig. 2). For thispurpose the blocks 24 .are each provided with depending threaded studs21 having adjustment nuts 28 thereon. The nuts support the rollstructure by resting on springs I 30, which in turn are supported on thelower bearing blocks 23. Balancing springs 3| are disposed on top of theblocks 24, and they are compressed by adjusting screws 32 located incaps 33 secured to the slide structures 26.

The supply roll l4 may be of various diameters, and in some cases may beof relatively narrow belt material which requires accurate linealguidance into the sizing apparatus, and an equally accurate guide duringa re-reeling operation, as hereinafter described. Adjustable side guidesare thus provided and they consist of a frame formed of laterallydisposed sections of tubing 35 and 36, which are rigidly secured in theeyes of connecting fittings 31, which also receive longitudinallydisposed tubes 38 (Fig. 1). The tube 35 is rotatably mounted in bearings39 forming part of the structure of the pedestals ll, while theremainder of the frame may swing about this axis with the tube 35 beingsupported on the supply roll 14 as the belting material is reeled orunreeled.

A pair of thrust collars 40 and 4|, the latter having handles 42, arerotatably mounted in the open ends of each of the tubes 35 and 36, andthey are aflixed to adjusting screws 43 which extend axially through thetubes (Fig. 5). The screws 43 are each formed with sections 44 and 45 ofright and left hand threads, respectively, which receive nuts 46 and 41having projecting key portions 48. The key portions project throughslots 35a and 36a in the tubes, and are secured to flanged guide members50, which are slidably mounted on the exterior of the tubes. 55

' The pairs of guide members which are carried by the nuts 46 and 41 maybe spaced by manipulation of the adiusting handles 42 to engage and uidethe sides of the belt web B in its passage from the supply roll I4 tothe rolls I8 and 28 of the sizing device. web B is secured to projectingportions 52 of the pedestals l1, and it is of arcuate formation so thatthe web may pass smoothly thereover, regardless of the angle of approachfrom the supply roll I4.

The projecting portions of the pintles 2| and 22 of the rolls I8 and 20carry sprockets 53 and 54, respectively, connected by a chain 55. Ahandle 56 secured to the pintle 2| of the applicator roll I8 permits therolls to be driven in the same direction of rotation, the sprocketsbeing proportioned so that the roll I8 is given a considerably greaterperipheral speed than the roll 28. The knurled surface of the tractionroll 20 offers a sufiicient frictional grip on the web B to draw the webwithout slippage from the supply roll I4, while the applicator roll I8contacts the web and rotates counter to the direction of movement of theweb in a light brushing action.

To prevent rotation of the lower roll I8 during a rewinding process, aclutch member 58 is keyed to the upper pintle 22, and it is formed withteeth 59 which are engageable in complementary sockets in the uppersprocket 54. When the clutch member is slid outwardly, it is disengagedfrom the sprocket 54, and the roll 20 is thenfree to rotate withoutaffecting the lower roll I8.

The roll I8, during the sizing operation of the machine, is partiallyimmersed in a tank 68 (Fig. 4) containing the sizing liquid, which maybe a somewhat viscous solution of waterproof cement..

The tank 68 is located immediately beneath the roll l8 and it isprovided with a hinged protective cover 6| at one side of the roll, anda curved shield or partition member 62 following the periphery of, andterminating at the opposite side of the roll. The partition is spacedbut a slight distance from the roll, so that, as the roll rotates in theviscous liquid, the contents of the tank are shielded from centrifugaleffects which would otherwise tend to cause spillage over the left handside of the tank.

A transverse angle member 83, connected to the front edges of thepedestals I1, serves as a support for a doctor or scraper 54 for theroll I8. The doctor is rigidly secured to the angle by bolts 65 whichextend through slotted holes 66 therein. The bolts may be loosened topermit accurate adjustment of the doctor by an adjusting mechanismconsisting of screws 61 mounted in tapped blocks 89 secured to themember 63, and formed with shouldered extremities 68 which engage inT-slots 10 formed in the body of the doctor. Suitable adjustment of thedoctor, followed by a tightening of the bolts 85, will permit a film ofsizing liquid of any desired thickness to remain on the roll I8 for asubsequent application on the moving web B. Bars II are secured toopposite ends of the doctor, and they engage the ends of the roll in ascraping action, to prevent the introduction of liquid to the pintle 2I.

The tank 60 is supported on a shelf 13, which may be lowered to removethe tank entirely from the roll I8. The lowering mechanism for the shelfconsists of a pair of transverse shafts I4 journalled in straps 15secured to opposite sides of the frame In and connected for mutualrotation by gears 16. Pairs of arms ll are secured to opposite ends ofthe shafts, and they are connected by rods I8 upon which the shelf issupported. One rod is secured against relative movement with the shelfby bearing clips 88, while the remaining rod is free to slide along thebottom of the shelf. An operating handle'8l is A bottom guide for thesecured to one of the shafts l4, and it is provided with a pin 82 whichmay be slid into engagement with the top of one of the straps I5 whenthe shelf is elevated, thus securing the shelf and accompanying tank inthe operative position illustrated. When it is desired to lower thetank, the pin 82 is retracted and the rods permitted to swing downwarduntil they rest on the straps I5, where the tank 60 is completely out ofregistry with the roll I8, and may be slid forward for total removalfrom the machine, if desired. During this lowering movement, it will beobserved that the level of the tank is undisturbed, due to the parallelsupporting action of the rods I8.

As shown in Fig. 6, during the sizing operation of the machine, the webB, as it leaves the traction roll 28, is draped in festoons on the bars84 of a drying rack, which may extend for a considerable distance infront of the reel end of the machine. After the supply roll I4 isexhausted, and its web thoroughly dried on the rack, it may be re-reeledby the same machine. In this case, the clutch 58 is thrown out toprevent movement of the applicator roll, and the tank 68 lowered, ifdesired. The Web is then reintroduced into the machine by engaging itabout the traction roll, connecting its extremity to the drum l5, and byoperating the drum by turning the operating crank 86 of the drum shaftl3. During the rereeling operation, the guiding action of the two sideguide structures insures the formation of a neat and properly wound rollon the drum, and its subsequent removal is easily accomplished throughthe aid of the collapsible drum. In the alternative, a second sizingcoat may be desired, whereupon the applicator roll may again be renderedoperative, and the web re-drawn through the machine, as before.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a machine made inaccordance with the principles hereinabove discussed is highly effectivein applying a sizing coat to belting material. In the usual form ofcoating machine, the applicator roll and driving roll rotate in oppositedirections under the influence of frictional engagement, and suchconnection also imposes a substantial load on the material being coated.In the present invention, the mounting for the upper bearing is suchthat the weight of the upper roll may be released from the belting, orapplied in part, thus providing for the control of the load desired. Itwill also be noted that the applicator roll brushes the sizing materialinto the pores of the leather, thereby permitting of a strong anduniform coating as acceptable as those applied by hand by skilledworkmen.

It will also be noted that the belting, after being sized and dried, maybe re-wound on the same machine, thus providing for the easy handling ofthe roll without danger of the coated surface becoming dirty, as couldoccur if the belting were dragged over the factory floor. During boththe sizing and re-winding operations, the belting is guided in astraight path, to avoid curling of the edges which would injure thesizing coat.

While the foregoing and other features of the invention have been setforth by reference to a single form, it will be understood that theinvention is not limited to the precise details of construction andarrangement of parts herein illustrated, and it is therefore intendedthat the invention should not be restricted to such form, but shouldencompass all such modifications and variations as are included withinthe scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A belt sizing machine comprising a frame,

bearing means secured to the frame, a pair of sizing rolls mounted insuperimposed relation in the bearing means, a tank containing sizingliquid in which the lower roll is partially immersed, the upper rollbeing formed to frictionally engage a web of belting material to draw itbetween the rolls, drive means for the rolls, a rotatable drum mountedon the frame and adapted to support a supply roll of belt material,means for guiding the web from the supply roll to the sizing rollscomprising a frame structure mounted for swinging movement on themachine frame and having transverse tubular portions at opposite ends,one of said portions being supported on the supply roll, and a. pair offlanged members mounted on each of the tubular portions and adapted toengage the edges of the belting material.

2. A belt sizing machine comprising a frame, bearing means disposed inthe frame, a pair of sizing rolls mounted in superimposed relation inthe bearing means, a tank containing sizing liquid in which the lowerroll is partially immersed, the upper roll being formed to frictionallyengage a web of belting material to draw it be tween the rolls, drivemeans for the rolls, a rotatable drum mounted on the frame and adaptedto support a supply roll of belt material, means for guiding the webfrom the supply roll to the sizing rolls comprising a frame structuremounted for swinging movement on the machine frame and having transversetubular portions at opposite ends, one of the tubular portions beingsupported on the supply roll, a pair of flanged members slidably mountedon each tubular portion, a screw rotatably mounted within each tubularportion and formed with oppositely threaded portions, a nut on eachportion, axial slots in the tubular portions, and means extending fromeach nut through a slotted portion and being secured to the flangedmember.

3. A-belt sizing machine comprising superimposed rolls adapted toreceive a web of belting material therebetween, means for applyingsizing liquid to the lower roll, drive means for driving the rolls inthe same direction of rotation, said upper roll being formed with afriction surface to engage and draw the web between the rolls, means onthe entrant side of the rolls for guiding the belting web, and rackmeans on the same side of the rolls for receiving the sized web fordrying, saidweb partially enwrapping said upper roll in being directedtherefrom to said rack.

JAMES A. WEBB.

